1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical plug connector, and particularly to an electrical plug connector for an electrical cable having multiple wires.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical plug connectors are used to terminate electrical cables and mate with complementary receptacle connectors to electrically and separably connect the electrical cables and the complementary receptacle connectors. One type of electrical plug connector, Direct Current (DC) plug connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,104 issued on Mar. 23, 1999 to Foster et al. and includes outer and inner cylindrical contacts surrounding a center contact thereof. The center contact includes a crimping portion for crimping termination to a core conductor of a cable which is terminated by the DC plug connector. A pair of additional terminals electrically connect the outer and inner contacts and have crimping portions to crimp the outer and inner contacts with corresponding conductors of the cable. Such connection between the contacts and the conductors is readily broken or misaligned by an external force applied to the connector, thereby badly affecting the electrical performance of the connector.
Furthermore, in order to achieve a more reliable electrical connection, electrical contacts of an electrical plug connector sometimes have tail portions thereof soldered to conductors of a cable which is terminated by the electrical plug connector. However, a tail portion of a center contact of the electrical plug connector is usually positioned adjacent to tail portions of inner or outer contacts, and in the course of fixing the conductors to contacts of the plug connector, the conductors have a chance to connect the inner or outer contacts or the center contact to form a short circuit between the contacts.
Hence, an improved plug connector is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a reliable plug connector which avoids short circuit between contacts thereof.
In order to achieve the object set forth, a plug connector includes a generally cylindrical insulative housing, a center contact retained by the housing, an inner contact and an outer contact. The housing is made of synthetic resin and has a front end, a rear end, a space defined in the front end thereof and a cutout defined on the rear end of the housing. The center contact has a U shaped tail portion protruding outwardly from the rear end of the housing, a mating portion extending into the space for electrically engaging with a corresponding element of a complementary connector and an intermediate portion embedded in the housing and connecting the tail portion and the mating portion. The inner contact is made of metal and is generally of hollow cylinder configuration to surround the center contact. The outer contact has a reversed U shaped tongue extending from a rear end there. The inner contact has a mating face exposed in the cutout of the housing and is properly distanced from the outer contact and the center contact.